Letters to the Editor

Holder and the Rule of Law

Although I agree that Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. ’73, ’76L is a welcome change after the years of the Bush administration, the article in the November/December CCT neglected to mention that many of his admirers have been disappointed in his overly cautious approach thus far.

In the two central issues mentioned by the author, “restoring integrity to a department tarnished by scandals” and changing a policy of “backing harsh intelligence techniques,” Holder has fallen far short of my hopes. Though, as the article notes, he was quick to dismiss the indictment of Senator Ted Stevens, he has done nothing about the case of Alabama ex-governor Don Siegelman, the likely victim of a Karl Rove-led political vendetta, and has shown a remarkable lack of interest in getting to the bottom of the scandal that involved the firing of several state attorney generals for political reasons.

Similarly, Holder has announced an investigation of detainee abuses at Guantanamo, but the inquiry will focus on the individual interrogators, not the perpetrators of the policy (Cheney, Addington, Gonzales, et al) and the twisted legal justifications for them.

Like President Obama, Holder seems eager to “turn the page,” but as our Vermont senator, Patrick Leahy, has said, we must know what’s on the page before we can turn it. Americans are owed an explanation of the extent to which the Office of Attorney General was sullied during the Bush years.

Rick Winston ’69
Chevy Chase, Md.

The article in the November/December CCT about U.S. Attorney General Holder stressing his commitment to the rule of law is rather biased in that it suggests repeatedly that some terrorists were too harshly treated during the Bush years. The author of the piece might have mentioned that we have not had any terrorist attacks in the United States since September 11, 2001, at least not until recently, when Major Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire on personnel at Fort Hood, Texas.

The enhanced interrogations of a few terrorists have been appropriate for national defense. I suggest that those who disagree recall the photos of American civilians hanging from windows of the World Trade Center, faced with the choice of leaping to their horrific deaths on the pavement far below or burning to death inside the building. Or, consider the possibility that a new attack might have been (or still could be) in the form of an EMP device detonated over the United States, thereby shutting down our communication systems. Such an event would bring our entire economy to a standstill, making the current “recession” seem like a minor nuisance.

So, I am very pleased that the Bush administration “grilled” a few terrorists, and prevented more terrorist attacks here at home. And I hope the Obama administration is just as successful.

The most significant, wholesale violation of the rule of law is right before our noses. It is the fact that millions of illegal immigrants live in the United States without becoming citizens and without paying taxes. If President Obama and Attorney General Holder follow the example of the last several administrations (regardless of party), they will do nothing effective. Most of the illegal immigrants should be granted citizenship, along with an IRS booklet, but some of them may be serious threats to our homeland security.

James E. O’Brien ’66
Maitland, Fla.

The last two issues of CCT have featured uncritical, hagiographic portraits of President Obama and Attorney General Holder. Pride in accomplished alumni is understandable but false glorification is not acceptable. This is especially relevant to Columbia, whose education emphasizes skeptical inquiry and intellectual honesty.

Obama’s captivating rhetoric is filled with appealing, idealistic goals that he has been unable to translate into affordable, workable programs. Holder is stuck in the mindset of the 1960s Civil Rights movement and cannot see that his application of his extreme liberal interpretation of justice to the threat of Islamic terrorism is misdirected and poses grave dangers to our security.

Columbia College Today should not be a party to today’s political liberalism but rather reflect a more basic liberalism with an open-minded, rigorous reading of ideas and their application to public policy.

Grover Wald ’56
San Francisco

View from the Press Box

Tom Hauser ’67, ’70L’s “The View from the Press Box” [“Alumni Corner,” November/December] was a delight to read. Winning seasons for the Columbia Lions have, indeed, been few. Hauser stated that on the plus side, the Lions are student-athletes. That is all well and good, but that the sport is an extracurricular activity and not an obsession is hardly a plus. What must be remembered is that football, unlike any other game, is of prime importance for the morale on campus. It mirrors one of our most basic instincts — the defense and control of territory where inches and yards mean everything. No sport digs deeper into our inner being as does football, and that is what generates not an obsession but the passion that so many fans experience at each contest. It is the territorial imperative of Desmond

Morris. It is Thermopylae, Cemetery Ridge, Verdun and Wake Island. What other sport conjures up these epic stands at their own 1-yard line?

The big kahunas in Columbia’s athletics department should not hide behind the college’s prestige as an academic institution to excuse the losses or dismiss the sport as merely an “extracurricular activity.” There are many other prestigious schools that have done quite well with their gridiron programs. They also have student-athletes. No effort to develop a winning team can succeed if it is equated to a class trip to the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. With that attitude, it would be better for Columbia to stick to fencing, rowing and the like.

Dr. Alfred Hamady ’44
Battle Creek, Mich.

Class Notes Online?

I read the September/October issue on the train today and noted with interest the online-only experiment (so that’s what happened to my July/August issue!). The train is quiet time for me to catch up on my reading, so you might then guess that I’m in favor of keeping the print version. Yet I understand that everyone is looking to reduce costs these days. So I suggest a compromise. In the September/October issue, almost half the pages were devoted to Class Notes. I generally read my class’ notes and maybe glance through one or two before and after. Why not make these online only and leave the rest in print? If we really wanted to bring the “notes” into the 21st century, we could create “class blogs” (perhaps with a less clumsy name).

Martin Prince ’88
Fairfield, Conn.

Editor’s note: There are a growing number of class blogs, and several class newsletters as well.